The British ruled India for two centuries, how much India gained from them and how much they took away from us is topic of debate. But, among the things it has given us one of the most beautiful thing is Anglo-Indian cuisine. It is the cuisine that developed during the British rule in India, as the British wives interacted with their Indian cooks. It has had its share of Portuguese influence too. One of the lesser known but really tasty and healthy Anglo-Indian dish is Phish-Phash. It is a combination of chicken and rice infused with exotic spices. You can also cook the same dish with mutton.
Ingredients:
1. Any fragrant rice (1 cup)
2. Chicken (500 grams, cut into small or medium pieces)
3. Onions (One medium size, cut in to cubes and another one sliced)
4. Ginger and Garlic paste (1 tea spoon each)
5. Green chilies ( Make paste of 3 chilies and slit 3 chilies into halves. You can adjust the number of chilies as per your preference)
6. Cashew nuts (10)
7. Raisins (7-8)
8. Salt to taste
9. Milk (1/2 cup)
10. Cinnamon (1 stick)
11. Cardamom (3-4)
12. Cloves (3-4)
13. Black pepper (2-3)
14. Red lentils or Masoor dal (1 table spoon)
15. Butter (2 table spoons)
16. Oil (1 teaspoon)
17. Bay Leaf (1)
You can cook this either in pressure cooker or in a heavy bottom pan. I have used pressure cooker here for quicker results. If you don’t have pressure cooker, you can cook in low flame with lid on for 20 minutes.
Method:
1. In a heated pressure cooker pan, add 1 tbsp butter and let it melt
3. Add all the whole spices; let the butter absorb the aroma of the spices
4. Add the chicken; flip them over a few times so that the chicken pieces are covered by butter on all sides.
5. Add ginger, garlic and green chili paste
7.Add the lentils and rice. Give it a good mix. Don’t worry about the chicken pieces getting broken. It’s exactly what you want.
6. Add the cubed onions and slit green chilies
8. Add salt as per your taste
9. Add the milk and the rest of the butter and give it a gentle mix
10. Add water; make sure everything is covered in water and nothing is left out
11. Cook it 3 whistles and your Phish-Phash is ready. (You may need to cook for 4-5 whistles in case you are using mutton)
12. Take a hot pan add the oil and fry the sliced onions till they become slightly brown. Use the fried onions for garnishing.
Enjoy.
Mo
theorangebowls 